Two men were arrested at the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol lagoon park and in Brgy. 30, Bacolod City, Tuesday.

Police identified those arrested as Chris Jun Natividad, 31, of Purok Kitahanon, Brgy. Banago and Francis Ponce, 29, of Purok Mabinuligon, Brgy. 30, Bacolod.

Natividad, who was observed to be under the influence of liquor, was apprehended by Capitol Lagoon security guard Enriquito Valero and watcher Jerry Nombre at about 11:10 p.m. at the park for creating alarm and scandal, Senior Police Officer 1 Dante Victor Escorpion, said.

Escorpion said that when Natividad was frisked at the police station, an improvised firearm or “sulpak” with a bullet of a .38 caliber revolver in it was recovered from him.

Station 6 policemen also arrested Ponce at about 7 a.m. Tuesday in Purok Mabinuligon on complaints that he is concealing a firearm.

Chief Insp. Noel Polines, Station 6 police chief, said they seized an improvised gun with two bullets of a 12-gauge shotgun in it from Ponce.

The Police Regional Office-6 had earlier announced that there are 22,462 firearms in the possession of Negrenses, but 10,823 of them have expired licenses.

In Bacolod City alone, there are 11,052 individuals with gun licenses, 635 of them have been granted permits by the Philippine National Police to carry guns outside their residences last year, police records also show.

The Bacolod City Police Office has intensified its campaign against loose firearms in the city, especially with the MassKara Festival only a week from now, city police director, Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, said.*APN

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